"You may not have a-" the prince was interrupted by one of the scouts suddenly appearing next to him. "Kae'l, what is it?"

"They are in a huge crater ahead of us," the scout responded. "There is no way to launch a surprise attack, the weapon is at the exact centre of their camp and all sorts of creatures lie between us and it. I am amazed they failed to spot us there was so little cover around."

"Wait for five minutes and then follow us," the prince said to the ogre, who nodded in reply before the prince and Kae'l vanished into the forest.

"Don't they need our help?" Jake asked.

"They do," the ogre replied. "But those cloaks they wear afford them a certain amount of invisibility, I'm guessing they want to thin the enemy ranks a bit before we arrive. With all due respect to our powers dragonkin are not renowned for their subtlety."

A strange figure was just visible between the trees watching Hannah. It had a vaguely humanoid appearance but seemed to be made out of something akin to smoke. It dodged behind a tree as it saw her coming.

Hannah haults in her steps and she senses something or someone closer to her. The guys are a ways back and she turns around with a look of caution playing in her gaze. " Whose there? Show yourself." She says in a whispery tone of voice.

"They'll attack us," came a voice from nearby whose source was unclear.

"No," replied the figure. "My kin are among them, they would kill her before she even drew a blade on us." It stepped out from behind a tree, revealing a figure who looked vaguely human but seemed composed of a misty substance. She had long silvery hair and ice blue eyes. "Hannah, my apologies, I had hoped to remain hidden but...there is something your friends must know."

"I know everything," the figure replied. "I suspect even the ogre would not recognise me, the Sh'ara would however."

"The what?" Jake said, jumping as he saw the two cloaked figures kneel in front of the newcomer. "Who...what..."

"Gaia," one of the figures said. "Our world made manifest and the last of a race who existed long before even the dragons did. My queen, what brings you here."

"The weapon you seek to destroy cannot be destroyed by any magic or weapons you could comprehend, it can be destroyed by this though." It reached out a hand and suddenly a sword appeared in it. "The Dawnstar blade, said to have been forged in the heart of your sun itself. But...there is a catch."

"The Dawnstar curse," the ogre said, smiling at the confusion on most of the other's faces. "The dragonkin have legends of that blade. To use it requires an immense amount of energy but...it kills the wielder. If Gaia is offering this then we are in more danger than I thought."

Hannah listens totally confused at their conversation and she heaves a heavy sigh. Then she casts her gaze upon the sword and yet, the mention of a Queen catches her attention more than the appearance of the sword itself. " What? Queen? What Queen? This is all so confusing. Jake, what's going on here?"

"Humans have no concept of Gaia dragonkin, even your kin have struggled with it. I am the spirit who represents the very planet you lie on. I guard this world against all threats but...I cannot fight in the physical realm, if that weapon is to be destroyed one of you must wield the sword."

Hannah tilts her head and she raises her brows. " Oh good grief. This is all so much. My son who is in my belly and not born yet, is standing before me as an adult , talking to me. Fine, come on Jake love, let's do thhis. " She is grumpy, tired, hungry and she wants to have this baby and go home. Hannah walks over to them and she takes hold of the sword while waiting for Jake to join her.

There was a rumbling noise and a burst of light from the direction of the clearing, making Jake jump. "I think we'd better go now, thank you for-" he stopped as he turned around, realising the spirit had vanished almost as suddenly as she had appeared.

"She wouldn't look the same to more than one person," one of the figures said. "She appears to those who see her as something that will comfort them, there are very few in existence who have seen Gaia's true form, legend says it would destroy your mind to see what she truly is."

Merlin rushed ahead of them, coming to an abrupt halt as he reached the edge of the crater. "Uh...guys, we have a problem." he said. As they approached the crater they found the Sidh hiding around the edges of the crater, bodies littering the crater itself and at its centre was an immense dragon-like creature whose body seemed to glow with a strange light. "Don't ask me how I know but that's what is causing the tears in the timeline."